The present invention generally relates to harvester pick up reels, and more specifically relates to a tubular bat shape which provides for the resistance of torsional loads as well as provides that tines can be readily repositioned thereon, without having to use fasteners which engage in holes which have been punched or drilled in the tube.
A typical harvester includes a pick-up reel. The pick-up reel includes a plurality of bat tubes, and tines are arranged along each of the bat tubes. When the harvester operates, the pick-up reel rotates, causing the tines to engage the crop and pull the crop into the harvester.
A typical bat tube of a harvester pick-up reel has a round, tubular profile (i.e., with regard to its exterior surface, the bat tube is circular in cross-section). As such, holes need to be punched or drilled into the tube as a means to fasten tines to the tube and resist torsional loading. After holes are punched or drilled into the bat tube, the tines are secured to the bat tube using fasteners, where the fasteners engage the holes which have been punched or drilled into the bat tube. Once the holes have been punched or drilled into the bat tube, the locations of the holes are fixed. Because the locations of the holes are fixed after the bat tube has been processed, the locations of the tines are effectively pre-determined, and the space between the tines cannot be varied.
In order to reduce the space between tines, additional holes would need to be punched or drilled into the bat tube. On the other hand, in order to increase the space between tines, holes would need to be skipped when installing the tines on the bat tube. With regard to punching or drilling the holes in a bat tube, a typical bat tube is a long, single piece, thereby making the tube difficult to process. Additionally, as a result of being a single, long tube, a typical bat tube requires a multiple piece, wrap-around type bearing design, given that the bat tube is provided as being a single, long tube. Finally, given that the bat tube is provided as being a single, long tube, if the bat tube is damaged or otherwise needs to be serviced, the entire bat tube needs to be removed from the reel or otherwise dealt with in order to effect the service. If a new bat tube needs to be ordered and delivered, this is not beneficial given that a bat tube can be as much as forty feet long.